Hook, Line, and Sinker
by Raizelinplaid
Summary: Have you ever wondered how Amanda could get that amazing wedding dress so quickly? What did happen when the cruise director took the brides-to-be to the bridal boutique for a tour? Why did Lee say in the tag that some strange things happened on the assignment? It was a pretend wedding and a just kiss after all, "and there was nothing more to it" or so he told her.
1. Chapter 1

**Hook, Line and Sinker – A Filler Scene for Ship of Spies**

Author: Raizelinplaid

 **Disclaimer:** None of these characters belong to me. They belong to Shoot the Moon Enterprises and Warner Bros to who I am eternally grateful to for the opportunity to keep their adventurous lives going and to the wonderful actors who created them.

 **Summary** \- Filler Scene for Ship of Spies – Have you ever wondered how Amanda could get that amazing wedding dress so quickly? What did happen when the cruise director took the brides-to-be to the bridal boutique for a tour? Why did Lee say in the tag that some strange things happened on the assignment? It was a pretend wedding and a just kiss after all, "and there was nothing more to it" or so he told her. This little filler attempts to answer those questions.

 **Dedications:**

This scene is dedicated to Amanda's wonderful comeback line to Jillian:

Jillian: "You mean you really gave a catch like him a chance to throw the hook?"

Amanda: "Well, he was pretty firmly hooked."

My deepest and sincerest thanks and gratitude goes out Clagjanet for her inspiration and unwavering support of my first fan fiction. Without her encouragement and time and patience in beta reading with her incredible suggestions and edits, this little filler would never have come out of the cobwebs where it has been since this episode first aired on January 7, 1985, 33 years ago.

A/N: This scene fits in after Amanda gets up from the table to follow the other brides to the bridal boutique and when she next sees Lee as she is coming out of the casino. Any mistakes in grammar, spelling, and canon are completely my own.

 **Chapter 1 – The day Lee went fishing...**

Amanda glanced back over her shoulder briefly as the cruise director, Mr. Rackam, led her and the other brides-to-be to the bridal boutique for their tour. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Arturo quickly get up from the table, and Lee seemed to be squirming uncomfortably in his seat as Miles was obviously continuing to pepper him with questions about their relationship. She secretly smiled to herself thinking he deserved it. She marveled to herself how yet again he had not prepared a thought-out cover story for them. He was going to receive his just desserts. Unfortunately, just as she finished the sweet thought, Jillian whispered into her ear.

"Now that it's just us girls, tell me Amanda, how did you hook the big one?"

Amanda, caught off guard, responded quickly, "Well, really I wasn't the one fishing the day I met Lee. In fact, I had no intention of really ever going fishing again at that point." Amanda paused reflecting back on that fateful moment in time, then continued using the metaphor, "But now that you asked, if anyone was fishing that day, it was Lee. He caught me as I was swimming, well quickly walking past him at the train station. I had just dropped off, my..um friend, for an early train and was walking back to my car. He literally caught me in his net or arms, and started walking with me. Try as I might to wiggle free of his hook, he repeatedly kept baiting me with this helpless, pleading look in his eyes that I couldn't say no to." Amanda continued her rambling explanation. "Soon after we met though, he threw me right back like some tiny, scrawny fish. He really prefers those younger, flashier fish with their fancy tails. I was the one who just happened to get caught in his net that day. "

Jillian, undaunted, continued peppering Amanda with questions. "But _you_ are the one marrying him. So how did that happen?"

Exasperated, Amanda continued describing their fishy relationship. "For some reason or another, he kept throwing his appealing piece of bait back in my direction yet again hooking me with those pretty eyes of his and reeling me in with some adventure or other. After a while, I got wise to his bait and switch techniques. So, I began to show no interest in his lures. I think the fact he couldn't bait me that easily anymore and that I could easily swim away from him is what really got him hooked."

"Oh come now Amanda, there must have been something you used to hook him other than your simple lack of interest in his line," Jillian continued to press.

Amanda paused for a moment before responding, "Well, he really wasn't used to having a fish turn tail at his bait so easily. Most of the flashy fishes were just willing to jump right on his line and take a big bite. But then, of course, it could have been the fact that when we met that day at the train station, I was just wearing my raincoat and nightgown and nothing else."

Having delivered that parting shot to end her fishy tale, Amanda sailed past her to join the rest of the group in the boutique, leaving a shocked Jillian open-mouthed like a fish gasping for air while flopping on a dock.


	2. Chapter 2: C stands for Cabin and Casino

**Chapter 2 – C is for Cabin and Casino**

As Amanda entered the bridal boutique, she felt like wave after wave of white foam was crashing down on her. She could feel her chest tightening as if she was actually going to drown in the sea of white fluff. She stood wide-eyed as out of the waves appeared a smiling shark with teeth bared and looking very hungry.

The overly friendly sales person then addressed the brides-to-be. "Welcome to the ship's bridal boutique. I am Sandi, the manager. My sales staff and I are here to assist you in finding your dream dress for your special day. Normally, the boutique offers a wide variety of clothing for every occasion you may have. However, for this special cruise, we have brought on board a large selection of bridal attire to match every dream you have had about that one dress. We have everything from simple pant and skirt suits to full gowns with trains of varying lengths. In addition, our selection offers something for everyone's budget. We hope you'll let us help you find that perfect outfit if you have not already brought one on board with you."

Sandi proceeded to explain to the brides the layout of the store from the simple suits and dresses to the designer gowns from Gunee Sax and Laura Ashley **.** Amanda couldn't believe her ears about the prices of even the simplest of ensembles. She turned to Jillian to remark on the exorbitant prices only to find she was no longer nowhere to be seen. Before she could begin wondering at her strange disappearance, Amanda became swept up in the undertow of brides pulling her to the waiting racks.

As Amanda began to skim through the sea of white, she marveled at how the piranha-like brides began feasting on the dresses. She began to wonder why these women hadn't wanted to take their time to choose a dress before coming on this cruise. The thought occurred to her that maybe the other women were just as unsuspecting, as she had been, as to their partner's true motives. Although if that were true, she'd bet they were a lot happier about it than she was.

In order to keep their cover, Amanda smiled and made idle conversation "oohing" and "ahing" with the other brides over the selection as she started glancing at the simple pant and skirt sets which were the least expensive in the store. The classic, understated outfits reminded Amanda of her mother's own simple ensemble that she wore for her own wedding. Memories began flooding back of the last time she went bridal shopping. Her mother and her mother-in-law both insisted that she have a proper gown with a train. Both women felt the dresses they had been married in would not be appropriate and insisted Amanda would regret not choosing her own gown. Amanda had continually expressed to them both throughout the ordeal that she desperately wanted to wear her mother's wedding dress. Inwardly, Amanda cringed at the memory of the pressure, anxiety, and resentment she had built up to find just the right dress. This time, however, all she felt was aggravation and frustration. It dawned on her that she wouldn't be having to look for a dress if Lee had trusted her enough in the first place to tell her that the mission included the possibility that they might have to get married. Then, she _could have_ at least brought an appropriate outfit with her. She _could have_ even used the actual gown she'd worn to her wedding to Joe. The dress _could have_ been put to good use again since she didn't have the heart to sell it or donate it yet.

Lee _could_ just be so exasperating sometimes. He said he knew how she felt about marriage. If he had just been honest with her, she wouldn't have been so frustrated and angry with him. With her _could have_ thoughts about the dress shopping and her growing frustration with Lee, Amanda realized the fishy tale she had told Jillian about how she 'hooked' Lee was not far from the truth. Because, in reality, Lee had hooked her. S _he_ was the one on Lee's line. S _he_ was the one that seemed to be pretty firmly hooked as she was towed along on his line with whatever he wanted her to do.

He had a way of dangling just the right amount of bait in front of her. He would tell her how much he needed her help so that she would finally relent and grab at it without thinking about the consequences of how much danger she could be in with him - literally and figuratively. Her thoughts kept circling back to whenever she did try to say no to Lee and swim away, he always had a way of pulling harder on that line to hook her. This time she had tried telling him that she had already made plans to take Mother shopping for a coat and to visit with a college friend. But then, he'd scooped her up into his net by telling her all the wonderful things that they would be doing but _neglecting_ the tiny, little, insignificant detail of having to be engaged and the possibility they may need to actually get married to keep the cover.

As Amanda began unconsciously moving towards the racks of more traditional dresses, she was shaking her head trying to clear it as her thoughts were whirl pooling. She had to admit to herself that even if Lee had told her the truth, she still would have agreed to come. But why? She couldn't deny that she found him very attractive and good looking. She had accidentally admitted that one to Magda Petrak when she began questioning Amanda about their relationship. She even revealed just how much she believed and trusted in him when she had forcefully told Magda, " _You don't know Lee Stetson._ "

The fact that Lee was a spy and all that came with that just added to his attraction, but she knew there was more to him than that lone wolf, playboy persona that was the "Scarecrow." On more than one occasion, Lee had shown her that she could trust him not only with her life, but the lives of her children and mother. He'd made sure that Jamie had Pretzel the Clown on his birthday. He'd seen to it that Philip got Captain Galaxy for his. He'd protected her mother while she was getting her hair done and even helped her when she crashed the driver training car. When they were all in Germany, he'd checked on her family to make sure they were safe. He'd even thought to keep the affair with Lord Bromfield out of the papers in the US by calling in some favors for her. To her surprise, he had even shown her a bit of a domestic side when he had cooked a dinner for her despite his constant protestations of her trying to make him normal. Knowing the little that she did about his childhood, she knew instinctively that he was looking for a safe place for himself to call home. Underneath all the bravado, Lee had unknowingly shown himself to her over the last year and half as a caring and compassionate man.

With that thought surfacing, Amanda's hand landed on a gown with a lace v-neck bodice of blossoming roses. The floor-length organza skirt was trimmed with the same lace pattern. The back had a row of pearl buttons. The intricate design reminded Amanda of their complex yet blossoming relationship. Amanda thought that if Lee were to ever marry, he would want a traditional wedding because underneath that was who he was: a man who did indeed value family and a home. Maybe the fact that he continued to tease her about being normal with two little boys, a mother, a station wagon, and a mortgage was his way to conceal that was what he wanted in his life.

Continuing to admire the gown in her hands, her thoughts shifted. She now vividly recalled the first time they danced together. She had been so angry with him then too. As became his pattern, he had neglected to inform her of the dress code for the party where they were to meet. Then, adding insult to injury, she endured different women approaching him while ignoring or insulting her. Yet, once they were on the dance floor, her anger had been swept away with the feel of his hand on her back leading her. A feeling she was now so familiar with she couldn't imagine her life without it. She was amazed at how she fit so well in his arms that for those first few moments, they had enjoyed just swaying together before she had found her voice again. In her mind's eye, the brief image morphed and Amanda was now wearing the dress in her hands. They were dancing their first dance at their own wedding.

An ice cold voice splashed over the image erasing it. "Do you want to try that dress on?" Sandi, the shark salesperson asked. Amanda just stared glassy-eyed at her and unknowingly gave an almost imperceptible nod of assent. Sandi quickly grabbed the dress out of Amanda's hands and led her over to a nearby dressing room complete with wall to wall mirrors and a platform in the middle. "Please put on the slip and let me know when you are ready," Sandi stated sweetly as she hung the dress up on the hook. Sandi circled the dressing the room waiting to help her dive into the dress.

Once on, the dress fit to a "T" accentuating her tall, willowy frame. It was as if the dress was made for her. The bodice highlighted her curves while the skirt skimmed the tops of her toes. Waves of sensations now washed over her as she stood in front of the U-shaped wall of mirrors. Images of dancing with Lee floated in her mind's eye again. The dress created a whirlpool surrounding their private moment. She felt her head begin to tilt slightly back and her eyes slowly begin to flutter closed as he slowly bent his head to kiss her...

"Should I charge that to your cabin?" a voice yet again interrupted breaking the intimate moment before its conclusion.

"Cabin?" Amanda asked.

"Yes, would like me to charge the dress to your cabin? It fits you perfectly and you seemed to be already swaying in it to music. This is the matching veil." Sandi placed the wreath of lace flowers attached to a veil on her head. For the final touch, Sandi handed her a bouquet of plastic white roses and calla lilies in a teardrop shape. Amanda stared at her reflection blankly not realizing she was now firmly ensnared in Sandi's clutches as her mind processed the word 'cabin.'

As the image of being in Lee's arms slowly began fading like footprints in the sand as wave after wave washed on the shore with each item, Amanda finally responded, "Cabin starts with c doesn't it."

Sandi stared back in confusion. "Excuse me, what did you say?"

"And casino starts with c too. I bet there are a lot of number twenty-fours in the casino." Amanda said thinking aloud. "Please excuse me, I just remembered that I need to meet some people for a game of shuffleboard." Amanda quickly began undressing. She emerged minutes later with the dress, veil, and bouquet in her hands. She dumped them into Sandi's waiting hands and rushed out of the bridal boutique in search of the casino. Sandi stared at her retreating back in disbelief. After blinking her eyes several times, she said under her breath, "I will take that as a yes."


	3. Chapter 3: And Confessions

**Chapter 3 – And Confessions**

Lee watched the retreating figure of Mr. Rackman following the ladies to the bridal boutique as Artie quickly excused himself from the table before Miles could ask him any more personal questions. Lee knew he had to find a way to leave too, so that he could continue searching for the mysterious twenty-four C.

As Miles turned to him to begin to ask him the very same questions, Lee began to act out a sudden coughing fit from drinking his water the wrong way, allowing him the perfect excuse to leave the table.

"First things first," he thought as he quickly left Miles behind. "Let's just make sure Amanda is really safely out of the way." It would be just like her to show up, following him as she had done on so many other occasions. Although he had to admit to himself that generally when she did that, she ended up saving his butt.

When Lee got to the boutique, he hid behind the solid wall before the glass front of the store began. He peered in cautiously and saw Amanda surrounded by a school of women in an ocean of white frothy foam. Her genuine smile reached her eyes as yet another woman held out a dress for her inspection. He watched how easily she blended into the scene.

Since he had gotten to know her a year and half ago, he had marveled at how easily she could go with the flow of just about any situation they had been thrown into. At first, he had to admit, she was definitely a fish out of water when they had begun working together. He had really questioned Billy's reasons for keeping her around as a civilian auxiliary especially since she had two small boys, her mother, a station wagon, and a mortgage. However, in their very first official case together, she had obviously been in her element in the suburbs and he had been the outsider trying to fit in. That had also been the first time they had to play a married couple. He smiled to himself about how he baited her with his line about whether or not she wanted the window open or closed in the bedroom. She had shown herself to be calm under the pressure of having not only held a dying man in her arms but then being kidnapped. She had been able to quickly pick up on his cues and resourceful in using that can of hair spray. Their first tug of war on the tenuous line between them in the kitchen had them equally matched. He realized later, on his drive home as he held her wedding ring, how much he had actually enjoyed their fight. Every time he would try to pull on the line with his ideas of hiring a man with a French name to do the kitchen, she would pull back with equal force about having a normal life with a job, family, friends, and roof over your head. It reminded him of Francine's teasing remarks. _"Dinner at 6. Dishes at 7. TV til 9."_ Although, he did have to admit that after the case, in the car that night, it actually was an appealing thought.

The second time they had played a married couple had been out of necessity. "If it wasn't for Francine's big mouth, we would never have been hooked together like that," Lee mused. There had been no other female agents available and he had been under a time crunch by that point. That time Amanda had been the fish out of water. She was very uncomfortable at being at the Cumberland Hotel instead of being at home doing her typing or at Camp Anacostia with her family. Despite her lack of confidence in her attire and ability to fit in, he had to admit, she had looked stunning and elegant and was able to flow on the tide of events. Like this time, he hadn't told her until they had arrived that she was going to be Mrs. Lee Stetson for the weekend. He remembered how angry Amanda had been with him that he had not prepared a more thorough cover for them to use to answer prying questions just like this time. Then again, he had been prepared to go with Francine, not her.

Sure he could have told her on the drive up when she asked for more information about the case, but for some reason he had continued to leave out that one little pesky detail. It wasn't until Amanda had directly asked him about using his real name and what his cover was that he was forced into telling her. As if it was yesterday, he could see the mixture of emotions play across her face as he placed the ring set on her finger outside the hotel. He knew she would be surprised but she actually looked shocked at the whole idea. She couldn't even look him in the eye afterwards. He remembered hoping she would just go with the flow instead of fighting the current. For the most part, she had just followed his line even convincing old Mrs. Craddock that they were newlyweds. It wasn't until they had finished dinner and retired to their shared room that she had fought back on his line.

This time, however, he really had no excuse for not telling her. It was his idea in the first place to ask for her help and not Billy's. In addition, he had said they were partners.

" _You could've told me in the supermarket, you could've told me in the car on the way to the airport. You could've even told me in the airplane!... Lee, on a need-to-know basis, I think maybe this time I had a need to know!"_

He could still hear her indignant tirade in their room. Being so mad at him, she seemed to ignore the effort he'd made to make sure they had separate, but adjoining cabins. He understood her feelings about marriage. His current of thoughts made him realize that he respected her abilities and instincts. He admired how she was able to manage her home life and continue to work for the agency.

However, every time he thought he knew where her mind would zig, it zagged. One of these days, she was probably going to zag hard enough to capsize the whole boat he found himself now sailing in with her and pull him down with it. Was that why he hadn't told her they may have to get married as part of their cover until it was really too late for her to get away from him? Was he sinking into deep water with her because she was tugging so hard on his heart strings? He had to confess there were times he did feel as if he could drown in the depths of her brown eyes at which point he knew he had to pull his line away from her.

He blinked his eyes trying to clear his vision as he watched Amanda hold out the traditional organza and lace dress to study it. It then hit him as if he had run the boat they were sailing on aground and the sheer force of the movement shook him. He actually had been afraid of hearing Amanda reject him again like she did the very first time he told her they were getting married with her line of _"That's asking too much"_ and swim away. Confessing this subconscious fear to himself brought him quickly back to the surface gasping for air. His head above water again, he saw Amanda go to into the dressing room and he quickly left the boutique to search the casino.


End file.
